Beyond the classroom. Teaching staff to manage cardiac arrest situations

Teaching staff members how to manage cardiac arrest situations effectively can be accomplished through a well-executed plan. An interdisciplinary task force researched the situation and identified educational opportunities to resolve the problem. Based on the task force's recommendations, a plan was developed for educational programs and mock code implementation. The educational programs were structured to meet the needs of the nursing staff, but other resuscitation team members were encouraged to attend. These mock codes were in all patient care areas, on a rotational basis, and attended by all resuscitation team members. A point system was created to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. A steady rise in points has been noted since the start of the program. This program has promoted staff comfort, improved patient outcomes, and strengthened the interdisciplinary approach to hospital resuscitations.